The Theatres of Shadows and Lights

Francesco Cavalli stands as the most influential opera composer of the 17th century. Celebrated throughout Europe during his lifetime, he played a decisive role in transforming opera from its early Venetian origins into a mature public art form. More than 40 operas are attributed to him, 26 of which survive complete, offering a unique insight into the genre’s remarkable development. His international reputation culminated in 1660, when Louis XIV invited him to Paris to compose L’Ercole amante for the royal wedding.

Cavalli’s artistic identity, however, extended beyond the opera house. As maestro di cappella of the Basilica of San Marco in Venice, he also composed sacred music of exceptional quality. Whether writing for the theatre or the liturgy, he brought the same sensitivity to text, melodic richness, and dramatic expressiveness, revealing two complementary facets of a single artistic vision.

This programme presents both dimensions of Cavalli’s art. Arias from eight of his operas are interwoven with the sacred motets “O bone Jesu” and “In virtute tua”, whose more intimate character is shaped by the liturgical and acoustic world of San Marco.

The vocal works are complemented by instrumental sonatas of Dario Castello, one of the leading musicians of San Marco. Their virtuosic brilliance and expressive freedom illuminate the vibrant musical culture of seventeenth-century Venice, where vocal and instrumental styles constantly inspired one another.

Together, these works portray Cavalli not only as a master of the operatic stage, but also as one of the defining musical voices of Baroque Venice, seamlessly uniting the sacred and the theatrical, the intimate and the spectacular.